But say you’re exclusively scouting for deer more than just a few times a week… Let’s say you’ve spotted one, or more heavy horned bucks that you’d love to tie your tag to this year and you ask yourself, “will they be there in October or November, or will they vanish again this year”? This scenario happens all the time, with other questions surfacing like, “how far will those bucks go,” or “where might they be on the first day of archery season?” Now, I could tell you to get out there and scout, scout, scout through August and into September - bear hunters will inadvertently be doing that anyway. And as a deer hunter myself, who is about to enter his 54th whitetail season, I can tell you for certain, the preparation for all of this is when the real fun begins. Not with a chance sighting of a big buck, but with the preparation it takes to consistently have an opportunity at a good buck during the season. It’s August, which is just another day in the life of a whitetail deer, but for deer hunters, August is the month when it all begins. Right now, deer are simply everywhere, and so is the feed with more to come. But I could sit in that same spot for the next week and never see that buck again, because it’s August, and the living is easy for whitetail deer. But in those 10 perfect minutes, watching him staring my way, he never once moved, which is why smart, older bucks like this one survive.Ī sighting like this can stir up even the most seasoned hunters. So I sat there, watching him until time, and promised responsibilities, pulled me away. A closer look with the optics confirmed this, plus I could not make out a shred of velvet showing on the antlers. Sure enough, the head and horns of a large white-tailed buck appeared about 300 yards out, just behind a dip in the terrain with the treeline behind him. Even with only his head and horns showing, it was easy to tell that this buck was a “dandy” with heavy main beads and tall G2 and G3 antlers. But as I stopped my vehicle to enjoy the moment, I caught an object that seemed out of place. As I climbed Burrington Hill, passing the former property of Bruce and Catherine Cromack, I looked eastward toward Burnt Hill, gazing again at the rugged beauty of that landmark. It’s always a pleasure traveling to Heath, whether it’s visiting family, friends, or just taking a drive into the hills. Recently, I was traveling into the hills of Heath to do some evening work for the Heath Fair.

Big game hunter tree stand